Uni High Reads

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo– this month, many writers are embarking on quests to write 50,000 words before the 30th (1,667 words per day!). Is it worth doing? For these nine authors, yes! In one way or another, these novels are products of NaNoWriMo, and should serve as inspiration for anyone trying to write their way to the big 50k. What you’re doing is worthwhile even if you don’t get published, but hey, you just might.

Here’s a list of these books, and where to find them. Call numbers refer to the Uni High collection, and can be requested by email! Other books are available at your local libraries, many in Pandemic-Approved digital formats.

• With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo AC37wi
• The Compound by S.A. Bodeen Champaign Public Library (CPL), print or audio
• Alienated by Melissa Landers CPL, digital and print
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer M575Lu1
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern CPL
  
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins P4198an
• Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast CPL
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell R795f
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Cary Ryan CPL digital formats

My (Charlie’s) personal favorite of these is The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. The book is about a mysterious circus that comes and goes in the night, and serves as the arena for a long, drawn-out magical competition between the two acolytes of different schools of magic. Secretly, the book is actually about theater and performance, and the lush descriptions of magical interactive theater pieces between chapters are my favorite part of the book. If you like #EnemiesToLovers and cool magic, this is definitely for you. (And no creepy clowns!)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer has also been a popular book at the Uni Library since its release. With androids, cyborgs, plagues, and intrigue, this is the first in a series many find hard to put down, and I’ve been very much meaning to pick up. If anyone who has read it and loved it would like to write a brief review, let us know! We would happily host it here and credit you.

[brief disclaimer: I, Charlie, have done NaNoWriMo three times, finished my word count twice, and not produced novels nearly this good. I think NaNoWriMo is worth doing even if you write 50,000 words then put them in a digital drawer to never be seen again! These books should demonstrate, though, that it is not just a futile speedwriting effort. What you make has worth, because no one else could have made it!]